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INH inhibits histamine metabolism. Most people aren't really familiar with the role of histamines as much as they are with "anti-histamines" the drug of choice during allergy season. But when taking INH, histamines can build in the body and enter major reaction zone when topped off with certain foods that are either histamine release triggers, or contain histamine.

What is Histamine?

Histamines are a necessary part of the body, not just for allergic responses, but also as a hormone/chemical transmitter similar to serotonin. One of Histamines roles is:

Regulation of water intake and drought management. When water regulation responsibilities arise (not enough water), the immune system can be compromised. Long term dehydration = increased histamine levels, and suppressed immune system. (Source)

Most of the time when histamine is formed, it is either stored, or rapidly inactivated. In the body, histamine if often stored in Mast cells, which are present in higher quantities in places where injury can take place such as nose, mouth, feet, internal body surfaces and blood vessels and is released only as required.

Histamines have been scrutinized much over the last few years as scientists discover new ways that Histamines affect the body. Many diseases are now being linked to histamine reaction such as lupis and arthritis. (More reading). Most reactions that have been found with INH have occurred with fish and cheese. These reactions included headache, palpitations, skin flushing, nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. (Source)

The INH Role: The body normally produces an enzyme called diaminoxidase (DAO), which breaks down histamine. If the production of this enzyme is, for one reason or another, insufficient, the intake of histamine containing food and drink can cause an increased histamine level in the blood, which causes allergy-like symptoms. (Source)Isoniazid is an inhibitor of both monoamine and diamine oxidases. (Source)This leads to a build up of histamines in the body.

Get to the Food:
Many food products contain histamine in large amounts, and if the body cannot break down this histamine sufficiently (hello INH), it crosses the intestinal wall and enters the blood stream. Here it can cause symptoms which are comparable to allergy. This is because histamine acts as a hormone, and is responsible for the allergy symptoms associated with “true allergy.” In allergic reactions, histamine is given off by certain white blood cells, which overreact to the presence of certain harmless substances in the bloodstream. (Source)

Here is a partial list of foods that can cause histamine release or are histamine-rich (built up from this nice Source):

Welcome to my INH Journey

I hope to chronicle my 9-month journey taking Isoniazid (or INH) for Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI). I'll share my paranoia, my diet, side-effects and the process. My focus will be to strengthen and protect my liver, as this is a major component of INH side-effects. Please keep in mind that this is my journey, and I am in no way qualified as a doctor or profess to have any authority in that area. I am simply a traveler who freaked out at the thought of having to take this, and wanted to share my process for others like me.